The Shops at Ribbon FRONT

FIESTA RETAIL CENTER: SCOTTSDALE, AZ

“BIG BOX” becomes RibbonFRONT at Scottsdale Fiesta Retail Center: an innovative
yet highly achievable concept for place-making design for a major renovation of a retail
center.
Throughout the U.S. many new residential development zones outside of historic city
centers have no comparable streescapes to a downtown with pedestrian focused
walkways and shops. These multi tenant large commercial developments provide the
expansive suburbs with the much needed shopping ammenities. Our proposal seeks to
expand on the shopping experience by creating greater opportunities for individuals to
come together as family, friends, and members of the community. The redesign proposes
to remove the existing facades with a dynamic “ribbon” that creates entries into the
stores as well as insert new public zones along the walkways.
The vision for the Scottsdale Fiesta Shopping Center illustrates how a dramatic
re-envisioning of the big box facades and surrounding utilitarian sidewalks can provide
the much needed pedestrian focused and programmable public space within a suburban
context. Located between the store entryways the previously unused and disused spaces
can be programmed to allow shoppers to engage the outdoor “rooms” designed to
maximize the enjoyment of small and large interactions that include activities such as
resting, reading, coffee/services, sidewalk sales, seating, circulation and exterior sales
opportunities. In addition to providing an enhanced shopping experience, the shops
at the RibbonFront foster community engagement and lively interaction with the built
environment.